I recently returned from presenting a LinkedIn workshop for hospitality professionals and hotel sales managers who are members of HSMAI's Los Angeles Chapter and one of the areas that I addressed was the importance of completing a profile.
Benchmark Hospitality International®, a leading U.S.-based hospitality management company, has named Chia-Hui Lin controller for Hotel Granduca. Mary Grace Gray, general manager for the property, Benchmark’s Personal Luxury Hotel® located in Houston’s chic Uptown Park and Galleria district, made the announcement. Chia-Hui Lin was previously general manager for the Hilton Garden Inn Houston Westbelt. Under her leadership, the property experienced tremendous financial success and achieved a Top Two market positioning. Ms. Lin served as corporate controller for Allied Hospitality, Inc., prior to this. Earlier in her career, Lin held positions of increasing responsibility within financial accounting.
Mandy Green, the Social Media Director and hospitality industry blogger at Monscierge followed up with me recently about an article that she posted, 'The Guest Experience Five Easy Ideas'. The content of her post was inspired by a piece that appeared in Hotel Management about how Bill Spencer, GM at Hilton Memphis, selects guests on a purely random basis for a program he calls 'Guest of the Day.'
Thomas Magnuson, CEO of Magnuson Worldwide, has been named to introduce Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media, as the keynote speaker at the upcoming Asian American Hotel Owners convention to be held March 26-29, 2013 at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
I received a call the other day from a hotel sales manager who was seeking my advice because he was struggling to meet his sales quota. His real dilemma was that he recently relocated to an unfamiliar city and needed to make up some ground as quickly as possible.
Chatham Lodging Trust (NYSE: CLDT), a hotel real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on upscale extended-stay hotels and premium- branded, select-service hotels, today announced that it has acquired the three-year-old Courtyard by Marriott Houston Medical Center hotel in Houston, Texas for $34.75 million. The company funded the acquisition under its secured revolving credit facility.
I was hoping to find an impetus that would inspire me to write. I don't easily come up with subject matter that is thought-provoking or informative but I think that I've accomplished both in this post. Please let me know if you feel differently. Yesterday, I received an email in response to a statement that I made in a previous post that I wrote called 'Five Key Elements Of A Personal Plan When Changing Careers' where I said "Making a career change without a personal plan is like making a conscious decision to skydive without a parachute."
HVS Hotel Management & HVS Asset Management – Newport are pleased to be co-hosting the inaugural Hotel Owner-Management Summit and the Hospitality Law Conference on February 11-13, 2013, in Houston, Texas. The Hotel Owner-Management Summit (Feb. 11th) includes 18 hours of intensive education delivered by notable experts on new hotel development, management contracts and the financial aspects of owning and operating a hotel. Lawyers learn about the financial aspects of deals and the financial experts get a better understanding of the legal and compliance aspects.
Since 2013 is just around the corner, I want you to think about the positive impact that setting goals, putting them in writing along with a plan to achieve them can have on your life. Setting and achieving your goals not only impacts you but your family, friends and loved ones as well.
I use to cold call a lot. There were times when I'd make 30 cold calls in one hour. Dialing away until I got someone on the other end to listen to my pitch. Searching for that proverbial needle in a haystack. Back in those days if I didn't sell I didn't eat so the best way to put food on the table was 'dialing for dollars', talking to a warm bodies, and closing sales. I was pretty good at knowing what to say when I had a prospect on the line because I designed scripts for all of the different types of prospects that I could possibly encounter and developed a response for any objection they could throw at me.
2013 is just around the corner and now is the perfect time to re-evaluate your hotel's social media strategy and have it ready to roll out January 1st. If your strategy includes ways to convert more business through your social channels then ask yourself the following questions.
Let's go on a fishing trip shall we? (Many of my readers are female and I couldn't find a photo of one of them hauling in a fish so please excuse me…I have no clue who this guy is but that's one heck of an order of sashimi!) I have contacted one of the top-rated captains from the gulf of mexico, chartered his boat, and I am inviting all of you to join me on a fishing excursion.
I recently returned from delivering my "Mapping the Course" educational workshop at the Inn Development and Management Conference and one of the segments that I covered with the group was prospecting. Prospecting for new customers is a necessary function of the sales cycle but did you know that new customers generated as a result of prospecting can account for as much as 50 to 90 percent of your hotel's occupancy?
DoubleTree by Hilton today announced the opening of the 303-room DoubleTree by Hilton Houston Hobby Airport, located less than half a mile from Houston’s William P. Hobby Airport and just 30 minutes from the Houston Intercontinental Airport. Formerly a Hilton, the hotel will continue to be owned and operated by 1859 Historic Hotels of Galveston, Texas, and guests will continue to earn and be able to redeem HHonors points at the hotel.
Today, e-RFP channels are enabling meeting and event planners to flood the market with a tsunami of "leads" that has left hotels struggling to keep up with the demand, according to an article published in Business Travel News. "It's broken," said Hyatt Hotels Corporation senior Vice President of Sales, Jack Thorne. "The whole thing got out of control almost overnight with us."
When someone decides to create a company, one of the first orders of business is to develop a business plan. A business plan is a road map, in writing, that serves as the foundation of the business and sets forth the goals and objectives that are projected to be achieved over a five-year period. If a company does a good job at creating and carrying out the plan, the business has a better chance in succeeding as compared to those that don't.
Mr. Khoo arrives here from the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles where he held a similar position, but it is yet another promotion in an amazing, world-traveling career that has had him in the tropical paradises of Lanai, Hawaii, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean to the thriving metropolis of Singapore, the excitement of Seattle and glow of Toronto in Canada.
Monte Hansen joined Sonesta as General Manager of the 485-room Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston as the hotel began operation Monday. With over 15 years of experience in hospitality management, Hansen brings new leadership to the hotel team as the hotel transitions to Sonesta management.
Destination Hotels & Resorts, a leading hotel management company, announced today that it will manage Hotel Derek, a Houston, Texas hotel acquired by affiliated company Lowe Enterprises Investors (LEI) on behalf on an investment joint venture. This latest addition to Destination's portfolio of 40 hotels and resorts across the country is a result of the company's aggressive growth strategy in 2012 led by the newly appointed president and chief operating officer, Jamie Sabatier. Hotel Derek marks the 13th city hotel in Destination's urban collection. Within the past 18 months, Destination Hotels & Resorts has added urban properties in Chicago, Washington, DC, Seattle and Eugene to its portfolio.
Sonesta International Hotels Corporation today announced its first hotel in Texas; the AAA approved Four Diamond, 485-room Royal Sonesta Hotel Houston. Scheduled to come under Sonesta management on July 16, this full service hotel is located in the Houston Galleria area. The hotel is currently known as the Intercontinental Hotel Houston. For more information or future reservations please visit www.Sonesta.com or call 1.800.SONESTA.